UConn hits on all cylinders in opener

Breanna Stewart wasn’t born when former Wade Trophy winner Jennifer Rizzotti set the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team’s record for points by a freshman in her debut.

Stefanie Dolson wasn’t born the last time a Huskies’ player recorded a triple-double.

While No. 2 UConn’s 103-39 rout of College of Charleston Sunday before 6,221 at Gampel Pavilion wasn’t one for the ages, it did have its share of impressive performances.

Stewart finished with 21 points, two points off the total Rizzotti had in her debut Dec. 1, 1992, against Fairfield. The 18-year-old Stewart was 8-for-11 from the floor and hit all five of her free throws. She also had five rebounds and four steals.

“It was similar to the exhibition games because we take those as real games,” Stewart said. “But at the same time you thought, ‘This is the start of the season. This really counts.’ In that way it was different.

“I’m really pleased. We had some rough patches, but that shows we can better if we continue to work hard in practice.”

Dolson, meanwhile, was one of the six Huskies in double figures with 11 points. But she also had nine rebounds and a career high eight assists when she came out of the game for good with 9:09 left.

“That would be weird to ask to go back in, wouldn’t it?” Dolson said with a laugh.

The last UConn triple-double was by Laura Lishness in the Big East Tournament final against Providence on March 5, 1989.

Dolson, a junior center, has had two double-doubles at UConn, one in each of her two seasons.

“Have I ever had a triple-double? I’ve barely had double-doubles,” the 20-year-old Dolson said. “I felt like I was rebounding the heck out of the ball today and the assists are cool.

“It’s great to have that feeling of trust that when I get double teamed inside I can kick it out and my teammates will knock in a 3-pointer or score off a drive. I think today showed what kind of season it can be like.”

UConn had 32 assists on 42 baskets and shot 63.6 percent from the floor in overwhelming Charleston.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (19), Morgan Tuck (15), Caroline Doty (10), and Brianna Banks (10) were also in double figures for the Huskies, who won their 17th straight season opener dating back to November 1995 when they fell to Louisiana Tech in overtime at the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic in Knoxville, Tenn.

“For a majority of the game I thought we got a lot done in a very efficient manner,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “That’s one of the things that we’ve been trying to do in our practices. A lot of our walk-throughs and film are just pointing out that there are opportunities to score, and score fairly quickly. We want to take advantage of those and I thought we did exactly that for the most part.”

The Huskies erased Charleston’s only lead of the game (2-0) as Mosqueda-Lewis hit three straight 3-pointers in a 19-0 run. A 22-0 run extended the UConn lead to 41-7 and it was 57-13 at halftime.

Kelly Faris’ layup with 2:21 left got the Huskies into triple figures.

“We went out hard right from the beginning of the game,” Dolson said. “They got the first basket, which we weren’t happy about, but we played awesome at the beginning of the game. We just had great pressure on the ball. You could see that our effort was there. I am definitely pleased with the overall effort.”

UConn, which averaged 112.0 points per game in two exhibitions against Division II opponents, reached the 100-point plateau for the first time since hammering Pacific 112-53 in Game 2 of last season.

And the Huskies did it without All-America guard Bria Hartley (ankle injury). Auriemma expects Hartley to miss the game at No. 15 Texas A&M next Sunday with hopes of having her back for the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands Nov. 22.

“It will be different,” Auriemma said. “I don’t know that it will be necessarily better or worse. It will just be different. I don’t know that we really can score a lot more points than we’ve scored the first three games even when Bria comes back because there’s still an inexperience factor that’s out there. The last eight minutes of the game today I think we scored eight points. So we’re still going to go through stretches where it’s not going to be great. But from what I saw today I don’t think scoring points is going to be a problem. How many points may be irrelevant. I don’t think scoring’s going to be a problem. We’re going to score. It’s making sure we just keep getting better at all the other things.”

Alyssa Frye led Charleston (1-1) with 14 points. The Cougars shot 22.2 percent from the floor and committed 25 turnovers.

UConn is off until next Sunday when it travels to College Station for the first time for its matchup with Texas A&M. The Aggies (0-1) dropped their season opener 47-45 at No. 9 Louisville Friday. They host No. 8 Penn State on Wednesday.

His team had built an eight-point lead in the second quarter against Notre Dame, and University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma decided to give Kia Nurse a break.

It turned into a break for the Irish. By the time Nurse returned 2:15 later, the game was tied. Then when the senior guard went back to the bench after 51 seconds with her second foul, Notre Dame continued its run that gave it a double-digit lead.

But once the second half started, Nurse was on the floor to stay. And at the finish, she and her teammates were at their best. Nurse and teammate Azura Stevens sparked a game-closing 22-3 run as No. 1 UConn downed third-ranked Notre Dame 80-71 last Sunday in the Jimmy V Classic at XL Center.

DePaul's Lister excited for UConn reunion

Mar 22, 2014; Toledo, OH, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Jasmine Lister (11) looks to get around Arizona State Sun Devils guard Deja Mann (5) in the second half of a women's college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Savage Arena. Arizona State defeated Vanderbilt 69-61. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports (Andrew Weber)

Jasmine Lister knows what it's like to be on the opposite sideline from the University of Connecticut women's basketball team. The former Vanderbilt University point guard faced the Huskies in the 2013 NCAA tournament second round at Gampel Pavilion.

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On the Clock with Geno and Justine

Dec 7 | 12:00PM

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On the Clock w/ Geno and Justine00:02:06

SNY's Justine Ward chats with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma about the off-beat things going on in the world of sports.

SNY's Justine Ward chats with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma about the off-beat things going on in the world of sports.

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UConn's comeback bid fails short against Syracuse 72-63

Dec 6 | 12:20AM

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GEICO SportsNite: UConn/Syracuse00:02:28

The UConn Huskies played Syracuse at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden and fell to the Orange by a final score of 72-63.

The former Big East rivals failed to play a familiar classic at the Garden that had defined their series as one of the best in basketball. But fans of both teams enjoyed the give-and-take chants that filled a mostly full MSG on the night.

Happy returns for Samuelson, top-ranked Huskies

Connecticut Huskies guard/forward Katie Lou Samuelson reacts to a play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at XL Center. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The XL Center's sellout crowd was already in full throat Sunday as the University of Connecticut women's basketball team was in the midst of its biggest comeback in almost a decade.

Then the 15,564 fans found another level with 4:50 left when junior All-American Katie Lou Samuelson -- who had gone to the UConn locker room several minutes earlier to get her left ankle examined -- returned to the Huskies' bench. She sat down next to associate head coach Chris Dailey and hoped to convince head coach Geno Auriemma she was ready to be part of the rally.

"I thought I would be able to go back in, and I was pretty bummed that I didn't," Samuelson said. "But when your teammates are playing that great, I was happy to watch and support them the best I could. We showed we're going to have that heart and that fight no matter who is out there."

Without Samuelson and fellow All-American Gabby Williams (migraine), UConn used a closing 22-3 run to gain an 80-71 win over No. 3 Notre Dame in the annual Jimmy V Classic.

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Stevens, Nurse rally No. 1 UConn past No. 3 Notre Dame

The UConn Huskies rallied in the fourth quarter to preserve their perfect record and beat Notre Dame, 80-71, on Sunday.

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Azura Stevens was playing in her first game for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team against Notre Dame, but had faced the Irish four times in her two years at Duke.

Did being familiar with Notre Dame help the redshirt junior forward Sunday?

"Besides the familiarity of wanting to beat them? Not really," Stevens said with a laugh.

The Huskies (7-0) trailed 65-54 early in the fourth quarter before scoring 21 of the next 26 points, much to the delight of the sellout crowd of 15,558 fans that took in the latest game between the former Big East rivals.

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Collier, No. 1 UConn host third-ranked ND

Napheesa Collier entered her junior season with the University of Connecticut women's basketball team coming off one of the best sophomore years in Huskies' history that ended with her being a consensus first-team All-American and the American Athletic Conference's Co-Player of the Year.

But she was determined to be better and set a goal of expanding her game in the hopes of helping UConn regain the national championship. The top-ranked Huskies are off to a solid start as they prepare to host No. 3 Notre Dame in the Jimmy V Classic at the XL Center in Hartford Sunday at 4 p.m.

"Our defense was shaky at first, but we really buckled down in the second half," Vital said, via Associated Press. "That's what I love about this team. No matter the adversity that we hit, I feel our best chances are going to win the game."

Monmouth are looking to get their season off the ground, starting 3-4.

STORRS, Conn. - The obvious sign that there was something wrong with Katie Lou Samuelson two weeks ago was her taking herself out of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team's game against California.

The Huntington Beach, California native takes herself out of games almost as often as it snows in her hometown.

The Huskies' junior All-American had fallen to the Gampel Pavilion floor awkwardly after being fouled in the second quarter of the Nov. 17 game. After her teammates got her back to her feet, she limped her way towards the UConn sideline and signaled to coach Geno Auriemma she needed to be replaced. By the time she got to the bench, athletic trainer Janelle Francisco was waiting to attend to her...

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Second-half surge lifts UConn past Columbia in OT, 77-73

Nov 29 | 9:40PM

STORRS, Conn. (AP) Christian Vital scored 29 points, seven of them to go along with a key steal in overtime as UConn came back from a 15-point second-half deficit Wednesday night to beat Columbia 77-73.

Antwoine Anderson added 14 points for the Huskies (5-2), who trailed for more than 36 minutes.

Lukas Meisner had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead Columbia (1-5).

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Call to Seton Hall helped get UConn's Gabby Williams home

Connecticut Huskies forward Gabby Williams (15) is greeted by teammates after coming out of the game during the second half against the East Carolina Pirates at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. (James Guillory)

It was a delay of game that the University of Connecticut women's basketball team was happy to accept. A year ago, the Huskies were looking into scheduling a homecoming game for Sparks, Nevada, native Gabby Williams, who was on her way to an All-American junior season. The only problem was that UConn's 13-game non-league schedule -- which included the recently-added Nike PK80 Invitational in Eugene, Oregon -- was filled.

Enter Seton Hall and coach Tony Bozzella.

UConn and Seton Hall had signed a deal to start a home-and-home series during the 2017-18 season. But the Huskies reached out to Bozzella and the Pirates, who agreed to push back the series by one year giving UConn the opening to schedule Tuesday night's game against Nevada in Reno.

When Gabby Williams talks about how far she's come in the last four years, it has little to do with the distance she traveled to be part of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team.

The journey hits home for the Sparks, Nevada, native Tuesday night when the senior All-American leads the top-ranked Huskies onto the floor in neighboring Reno for a game with the University of Nevada at the Lawlor Events Center.

"I want to show the people that saw me play in high school that I'm now a totally different player," Williams said. "I want to show them how much I've improved, and how I am a different player in the new position that I'm in. And I'm excited for that. But then I have a lot of friends who don't even understand basketball that much, and they're just excited to see me play in person and see and meet my teammates. That's exciting for me, too...

Nov 26 | 6:10PM

Jaylen Barford scored 16 of his 24 points in the first half, and Arkansas used a huge second-half run to rout Connecticut 102-67 on Sunday in the consolation bracket of the PK80 Invitational.

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UConn continues strong start with 96-62 win over Michigan State

Nov 25 | 6:06PM

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GEICO SportsNite: UConn tops MSU00:01:14

UConn women's basketball had a wire-to-wire 96-62 victory over the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday afternoon.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) Azura Stevens recorded one of three UConn double-doubles and reached 1,000 points for her career as the top-ranked Huskies beat Michigan State 96-62 at the PK80 Invitational on Saturday.

UConn falls to Cincinnati 22-21 with missed PAT as time expired

Nov 25 | 3:42PM

UConn football rallied in the fourth quarter against Cincinnati to get within a point but couldn't convert on the PAT and lost, 22-21.

CINCINNATI (AP) Haden Moore scored on a 4-yard run with 1:28 left to lead Cincinnati to a 22-21 win over Connecticut on Saturday.

Cincinnati (4-8, 2-6) got the ball on its own 36-yard line with 3:13 left before driving to break a 15-all tie.

Connecticut scored with no time on the clock. David Pindell found Hergy Mayala from 2 yards out for a touchdown. But Connecticut was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and Michael Tarbutt missed the 36-yard conversion attempt.

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Today's game: UConn women's basketball at Michigan State, 3 p.m.

Stream the game at SNY.tv/uconnstream

Nov 25 | 12:03PM

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Connecticut Huskies guard/forward Napheesa Collier reacts with guard Gabby Williams after a play against the UCF Knights in the second half of the semifinals during the women's AAC Conference Tournament at Mohegun Sun Arena. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

The Connecticut Huskies will look to improve on their perfect 4-0 start today against the Michigan State Spartans. This will be the first time this season the no. 1 Huskies will be facing an unranked opponent.

UConn last played on Tuesday, when they beat the no. 5 ranked UCLA Bruins and won 78-60 behind 23 points from Napheesa Collier and 17 points from Crystal Dangerfield.

Kia Nurse is an academic All-American, yet she struggles to comprehend a pair of one-syllable words when used together:

Slow down.

For example, Nurse scored 12 points and Team Canada won the gold medal at FIBA AmeriCup 2017 with a 67-65 win over host Argentina in Buenos Aires on Aug. 13. The next day, she flew to Italy -- a journey of approximately 6,930 miles -- and on Aug. 15, she scored 18 points in the University of Connecticut women's basketball team's 68-52 exhibition win over the Dutch national team in Rome.

The Huskies (4-0) overcame an awful night of shooting to knock off the Ducks playing essentially a home game a couple hours north of their campus in Eugene. Most of the lower bowl at Moda Center was clad in green and yellow but went home disappointed at Oregon's first loss of the season.

USA U-16 stars Bueckers, Fudd get UConn offers

Geno Auriemma and his University of Connecticut women's basketball coaching staff deserved to take a break after signing two of top players in the high school Class of 2018 this month.

But the Huskies didn't win 11 national championships and advance to 18 NCAA Final Fours by resting on their laurels. In modern-day recruiting, a coach's work is never done.

While UConn may add to its class of Christyn Williams (5-foot-11 guard, Little Rock, Arkansas) and Olivia Nelson-Ododa (6-foot-4 forward/center, Winder, Georgia), some focus has turned to younger players, including two who represented their country for the first time last summer...

UConn rolls over UCLA out West, 78-60

Nov 22 | 12:24AM

Napheesa Collier scored 23 points and had five steals as the No. 1 Huskies romped the No. 5 Bruins, 78-60, in Los Angeles on Tuesday night and hand UCLA its first loss of the season.

Collier added seven rebounds and shot 9-for-15 from the field to lead the team in both points and field goal attempts. Gabby Williams and Crystal Dangerfield also excelled in the victory, with the former finishing just two points shy of a double-double. Williams had 11 rebounds and three steals in what was a great defensive effort for the Huskies. Dangerfield finished second in points with 17 on the night.

No. 1 UConn readies for UCLA at Pauley Pavilion

Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma watches from the sideline as they take on the California Golden Bears in the second half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

There are few, if any, college basketball arenas in the nation with the history and tradition of UCLA's Pauley Pavilion.

The 11-time national champion University of Connecticut women's basketball team will play under the UCLA men's 11 national championship banners for the second time in its history Tuesday night. The No. 1 Huskies figure to have their toughest matchup of the young season as they take on the fifth-ranked Bruins in a nationally-televised showdown.

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Vital's 30 powers UConn over BU 85-66

Nov 19 | 8:28PM

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UConn tops BU, improves to 3-000:02:09

UConn defeats Boston University, 85-66, to improve to 3-0 to start the year. Michelle Yu and Vin Parise break down highlights of the win.

Christian Vital scored a career high 30 points to lead Connecticut to an 85-66 win over Boston University on Sunday.

The sophomore guard hit nine of his 15 shots and was 4 of 10 from 3-point range.

Stevens steps up for No. 1 UConn in win over Maryland

Connecticut Huskies guard/forward Azura Stevens reacts after her basket against the Maryland Terrapins in the second half at XL Center. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

HARTFORD, Conn. -- It's not like Azura Stevens hasn't started a game before. The University of Connecticut women's basketball team's redshirt junior forward was on the floor for the opening tip 51 of the 58 games she played in two seasons at Duke before transferring here 18 months ago.

But this is not Duke. And with All-American Katie Lou Samuelson sidelined with a sprained left foot, Stevens is -- what All-American Gabby Williams says -- "the next man up." In Stevens' first start for UConn on Sunday, the Raleigh, North Carolina, native responded.

Stevens finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds -- one of six Huskies in double figures and one of three with double-doubles -- as top-ranked UConn coasted to a 97-72 win over No. 15 Maryland before 10,126 at XL Center.

"Z did well, really well, and I was proud of her," Williams said. "She came in and knew what she was good at. She didn't look afraid. She was ready to go out there and compete."

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Nurse scores 21 as UConn beats Maryland 97-72

Nov 19 | 4:10PM

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GEICO SportsNite: Huskies win00:00:39

The No. 1 ranked UConn Huskies defeated the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday night by the score of 97-72.

The Connecticut Huskies will look to win their third game of the season on Sunday when they host No. 15 Maryland at 1:30 p.m.

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UConn no match for Boston College in 39-16 loss at Fenway Park

Nov 18 | 11:48PM

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Nov 18, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Connecticut Huskies quarterback David Pindell (5) hands off the ball to running back Kevin Mensah (34) as they take not he Boston College Eagles in the second half at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports (David Butler II)

BOSTON (AP) AJ Dillon rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns, breaking free on a 48-yard run and a 53-yard score on Saturday night to lead Boston College to a 39-16 victory over UConn on the wet and worn-out turf at Fenway Park.

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The Geno Auriemma Show: Geno explains why he teaches offense first

Nov 17 | 11:22PM

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Geno Auriemma Show: Geno On..00:01:38

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma gives his thoughts on why offense is the first thing he teaches every year to start the season.

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Samuelson hurt in No. 1 UConn's rout of Cal

STORRS, Conn. -- It had to feel like deja vu all over again for Katie Lou Samuelson.

The University of Connecticut women's basketball team's junior All-American hit the floor after being fouled with 4:02 left in the first half Friday night. After being helped to her feet, she gingerly took a few steps on her injured left foot and signaled to the Huskies' bench she needed to come out of the game.

In the 2016 NCAA Final Four semifinals against Oregon State in Indianapolis, Samuelson broke a bone in her left foot while grabbing an offensive rebound in the game's opening minute but managed to play the entire first half. She missed the national championship game against Syracuse two days later but then had seven months to recover.

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Huskies All Access: Preparing for the 2018 season

Nov 17 | 10:22PM

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Huskies All-Access: 2018 prep00:10:53

The UConn Women's team looks back on falling short of winning another national title and how that motivated them for the 2018 season.

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UConn stomps Cal in their home opener, 82-47

Nov 17 | 9:45PM

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GEICO SportsNite: UConn tops Cal00:01:32

The UConn Huskies defeated California handily, 82-47, in their home opener and on the night they honored Rebecca Lobo.

Crystal Dangerfield, Napheesa Collier, and Kia Nurse tallied 14 points apiece as the Huskies took down the Bears, 82-47, in their home opener.

Collier took the most shots of the starting five, netting 6-of-13 while converting one of her two free throws. Gabby Williams scored 13 points while Katie Lou Samuelson netted 12 points. Off the bench, Azura Stevens finished with 11 points as well.

UConn held Cal to just 37.7 percent from the field while Kristine Anigwe was the only double-digit scorer with 14 points.

The Huskies take on No. 15 Maryland on Sunday at Gampel Pavilion.

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UConn hosts California in home opener on Friday

To live stream the game, go to SNY.tv/uconnstream

Nov 17 | 6:00PM

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(Kevin Jairaj)

The Univerisity of Connecticut Lady Huskies take on the No. 20 California Bears in their home opener at the Gampel Pavilion on Friday.

The Huskies are led by Crystal Dangerfield, who notched a career-high 24 points over Stanford on Sunday. Katie Lou Samuelson also poured in 21 points in 31 minutes on Sunday.

It will be a special home opener for UConn as they honor Huskies great Rebecca Lobo, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in September.

UConn is 31-1 in home openers under Geno Auriemma. The Bears will look to taint that record, but they will be without G Mi'Cole Cayton, who is out with a season-ending knee injury she sustained in their first game last week.

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Huskies All Access: Tonight at 9 p.m. on SNY

Nov 17 | 10:00AM

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Huskies All Access: Friday 9pm00:00:47

Huskies All Access takes you inside the UConn basketball program with Geno Auriemma, premieres Friday at 9:00pm on SNY.

Huskies All Access takes you inside the UConn basketball program with Geno Auriemma.

Tune in to the season premiere tonight at 9 p.m. on SNY!

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Banner night for Lobo as UConn faces Cal

Former Husky Rebecca Lobo was honored before Friday's game after being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

STORRS, Conn. -- It was 26 years ago -- Nov. 24, 1991, to be exact -- that Rebecca Lobo played her first game for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team as the Huskies took on California in Berkeley.

The coincidence that Lobo will become the first former UConn player to have her own banner recognizing her 2017 induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame placed in Gampel Pavilion on Friday with No. 20 California here to face the Huskies (SNY, 7 p.m.) wasn't lost on coach Geno Auriemma.

"It's amazing the way things come around," Auriemma said on Thursday. "How many years later, 26? She's getting a banner here and we're playing Cal. What are the chances, right? That is the craziest thing."

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The Geno Auriemma Show: Friday at 10 p.m. on SNY

Nov 16 | 3:20PM

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The Geno Auriemma Show: Friday00:01:02

On the season premiere of The Geno Auriemma Show, the freshman learn the ropes from a legend, check it out Friday at 10:00 p.m. on SNY.

On the season premiere of The Geno Auriemma Show, the freshmen learn the ropes from a legend.

Top 5 recruit Olivia Nelson-Ododa picks UConn

Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma watches from the sideline as they take on the LSU Tigers in the second half at XL Center. (David Butler II)

It was better late than never for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team. Actually, the fall recruiting signing period could not have gone any better for the Huskies.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa, a 6-foot-4 center from Winder, Georgia, has signed a letter of intent to attend UConn on Wednesday, the final day of the fall signing period. Rated the No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2018 by ESPNHoopgurlz, she also considered Duke, Florida State, Georgia, and South Carolina.

The Univeristy of Connecticut men's basketball team kick off their regular season against the Colgate Raiders on Friday night in the Gampel Pavilion.

Head coach Kevin Ollie and his team played three exhibition games against Providence, Merrimack and Queens College. His team will be without junior G Jalen Adams, who was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. He was a All-AAC First Team selection last season.

Terry Larrier and Alterique Gilbert are returning from injuries for the Huskies, and should provide quality minutes for the team.

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Huskies show plenty of potential

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With three returning All-Americans, a four-year starter, a dynamic young point guard, and talented newcomers, the University of Connecticut women's basketball team has the pieces to win a national championship.

For 20 minutes against No. 10 Stanford, the Huskies looked the part as they built an insurmountable 35-point lead. It was so insurmountable that they were never threatened in the second half though their play was quite forgettable.

Great teams, says All-American Gabby Williams, play 40 minutes every game. Top-ranked UConn showed it has the potential to get there in its 78-53 season-opening rout of the Cardinal at the Countdown to Columbus event at Nationwide Arena Sunday. But there's plenty of work to do if the Huskies hope to be back here for the final weekend of the season.

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Dangerfield leads UConn back to winner's circle

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Its NCAA record winning streak was snapped on March 31, but another run that pre-dates the birth of any current University of Connecticut women's basketball player was on the line at Nationwide Arena Sunday.

The Huskies, coming off their loss to Mississippi State that ended their 111-game streak and season in the Final Four semifinals, has not dropped back-to-back games since losing the final three of the 1992-93 season. The oldest Huskies -- transfers Azura Stevens and Batouly Camara, along with senior Kia Nurse -- were not born until February, 1996.

And Stanford, which ended UConn's 90-game winning streak in 2010 and its 47-game winning streak in 2014, would get the shot at putting another run to rest. But the Cardinal weren't playing in Maples Pavilion and they do not have the talent and athleticism of those past teams that beat the Huskies.

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Dangerfield scores 24 to help UConn beat Stanford 78-53

Nov 12 | 4:39PM

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GEICO SportsNite: UConn wins00:00:38

UConn women's basketball opened its season with a dominant win over 10th ranked Stanford, 78-53.

Five questions with UConn's Azura Stevens

By Carl Adamec | Nov 11 | 9:30AM

Duke Blue Devils guard/forward Azura Stevens (11) dribbles the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. The Blue Devils won 70-48. (Charles LeClaire)

STORRS, Conn. - .Azura Stevens transferred to UConn in 2016 after playing her first two collegiate seasons at Duke where she earned all-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors. As a freshman, she had a team high 16 points in the Blue Devils' 83-52 loss to the Huskies on Dec. 30, 2014. The 6-foot-6 wing from Raleigh, North Carolina, sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules and has two years of eligibility remaining. Stevens recently took a time out to answer five questions from SNYUConn.com reporter Carl Adamec.

1. You wore uniform No. 11 during your time at Duke and you chose to wear No. 23 here. Why, and are you aware of the importance of that uniform number in UConn history?

"I wore 23 in high school so I decided to go back to that number. I am aware of the history of that number here. Arguably the greatest player in the history of this program, Maya Moore, wore this number. So I definitely get some chills looking at that number here. I don't feel pressure with it, though. Playing up to being a UConn player is enough."